David Lynch

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since Mar 12, 2015
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Recent posts by David Lynch

Hi Justin I am a big fan with a small question: Have you ever had a weasel get through the 1" mesh? I have read that 1/2" is necessary to be weasel-proof, but I imagine the coop would be less self-cleaning with 1/2". Do you have weasels in your area? Thanks a million for all that you do!
6 years ago
Hi Gilbert, I have some experience with greenhouses, and my understanding is that you are correct - the shade cloth will be much more effective outside the plastic.  Any energy that passes through the plastic or glass of a greenhouse has a much harder time escaping - hence the greenhouse effect.  There may be some heat mitigation with the shade cloth inside the plastic, but not nearly as much.  Good luck!  
6 years ago
My understanding is that, while most authorities say using honey is no good, in practice many have had success with honey.  I have also heard that using alternative sugar sources is no problem, as long as you return the SCOBY to normal refined sugar periodically for recovery.  Have you heard of Jun?  Jun is a SCOBY culture adapted to consume green tea and honey, sometimes known as the "champagne of kombucha".  Origins of Jun are unclear and a subject of some debate.  I bought a Jun SCOBY online a few years ago and had fairly good results, but eventually decided I didnĀ“t really like kombucha or jun.  Good luck!
7 years ago
My experience in a subtropical climate in Mexico (temp range - 0C to 35C, high humidity): uninvited BSF invaded my red wiggler habitat and persisted with no intentional support from me.  The larvae went everywhere, especially before/after a big rainstorm.  They were much more prolific and hardier than the red wigglers.  I never tried to get rid of them, but I doubt it would have been possible.   I was also never able to contain them, but I never tried one of the commercial bin options.

I would venture a guess that perhaps your genetic stock was not so great, or perhaps there was not enough genetic diversity to adapt to your conditions, or maybe you're efforts to create an ideal environment are backfiring somehow.  In your position, I would get some more BSF (from multiple sources if possible) and try again.  I would try less environmental control, just put them outside in a semi-sheltered area - no fan or direct sun or anything like that.  Let natural selection take a shot at it, and if that doesn't work I guess I would look at different insect options.

Good Luck!
7 years ago
I have heard that chamomile is a good general eye tonic.
7 years ago
Sounds wonderful, but I am afraid it would not be practical for me to attend in person. However, I am very interested in the topics outlined for the appropriate technology section, and I would be willing to pay an appropriate amount of money for some form of document or media file with the contents. I feel confident that I would not be the only one...

So, in response to your query... The AT course would be TRULY EPIC for me if I could learn from it while remaining physically in Mexico!

Saludos a todos!

Sheri Menelli wrote:Hi,

I haven't planted Palo verde from seed - just was given one from a friend. The Guaje (Leucaena leucocephala) seeds are growing well in a small pot. I need to transplant them soon to a larger pot or into the ground. I had to scarify it for them to grow.

I had tried Tipuana Tipu and got a few seedlings to grow last year but planted them when they were too small and they were eaten

Have you tried Pinto Peanut? I read a very interesting article on it from Nutri-tech Solutions in Australia

2. If you are an orchardist, dairy farmer or viticulturist and you live in a frost-free zone, you need to know about Pinto Peanut. This is a truly amazing cover crop. It produces a dense, yellow-flowered ground cover that only grows a few inches tall. It easily outcompetes weeds and requires no maintenance. Research at the Alstonville Tropical Fruit Research centre in Northern NSW several years back showed that there is no competition with the tree crop for moisture. Like all legumes, the Pinto Peanut delivers a significant supply of nitrogen, calcium and phosphorus, but this legume is unique in that it also delivers potassium. It appears that the deep-rooted legume mines potassium and delivers it to the feeder roots of the tree (in the top six inches). This was not just a token supply. One of the soils tested revealed a threefold increase in potassium just two years after the legume had been introduced. Potassium is the most expensive major mineral, so this is a huge cost-saving benefit. The legume is grown from seed, but once you have it established you just take cuttings and root them in a bucket to spread this little beauty everywhere (and believe me you will want to do this). During a seminar tour of Hawaii, I visited an iconic, mixed-species orchard where the botanist in control had Pinto Peanut on every available square metre of land. He even had several buckets full of cuttings rooting in water so he could replace his front lawn with this beautiful ground cover.



Hi Sheri,

I can't seem to find the original article or data anywhere on the internet, do you have a link? (The only article from Alstonville on pinto peanut I can find is this one about decreased yields in bananas - http://www.publish.csiro.au/paper/EA9941197.htm )

Thanks for your help!

David
9 years ago